Analysis: Danish outcry at Sally Rooney and Kneecap shows a very different approach to Palestine outside Ireland
By Kerstin Bree Carlson, Roskilde University
Both Irish Novelist Sally Rooney and Irish hip hop group Kneecap have faced global media scrutiny recently due to their very public support for Palestine. Rooney, best known for Normal People and her recent novel Intermezzo, announced she would donate profits from her UK book sales and BBC TV adaptation to Palestine Action – a British direct-action group recently designated a terrorist organisation by the UK government. In response, some UK politicians have suggested she could face arrest under terrorism legislation.
Kneecap, meanwhile, have been barred from performing in parts of Europe. This comes after their frontman, Mo Chara, was charged in the UK for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah during a concert in London last year. The group have called the charge "political policing" intended to "silence" them.
Both artists are now facing political backlash in Denmark, which, like the UK, has taken a particularly hard stance on "support for terror". Indeed, since the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 it is a criminal offence to publicly support banned groups - this includes posting on Facebook and message boards.
From JOE.ie, Sally Rooney to sponsor Palestine Action through book sales
Rooney's recent appearance at the Louisiana Literature Festival near Copenhagen was marked by this controversy. Some politicians challenged whether she should have been given such a prominent platform, given her public support for a group on Britain's terror list. At the event, Rooney defended her stance, reiterating her view – outlined in The Guardian and The Irish Times – that violating property law is not equivalent to terrorism. (Palestine Action protesters sprayed red paint into two plane engines at a military airbase in the UK).
Kneecap, meanwhile, are scheduled to perform in Copenhagen this week. Their appearance at the city’s Vega music venue has sparked protest, with Jakob Næsager, the Mayor for Children and Youth, calling for the venue’s management to be fired.
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From RTÉ News, Kneecap say terrorism charge an attempt to 'silence' them
"Support for terror"?
This backlash stems in part from Denmark’s drive to increase focus on "support for terror" cases. In November 2023, the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, instructed public prosecutors to investigate individuals who publicly justify the October 7 attack or praise Hamas.
As of August 2024, the police had received more than 150 reports. The few cases where trials have concluded seem legally unconvincing. A legal expert in Denmark has raised concerns, arguing that the government is exerting undue pressure on prosecutors. Only about half of the dozen or so trials have resulted in convictions.
Rooney’s Danish publisher, Jacob Søndergaard, tried to bridge both sides of the debate. On the one hand, he insisted Rooney "is exercising her freedom of speech, and we support her". On the other hand, he asserted that her donations to Palestine Action would only come from her UK earnings, not her Danish book sales – as if such a distinction is possible. He further noted: "Palestine Action is not banned in Denmark, so we comply with Danish legislation. But it is clear that if the group one day appears on the Danish terror list, we will of course have to take an even more stringent approach to the situation."
The Irish take
For Irish figures like Rooney and Kneecap, solidarity with Palestine is informed by their own national memory of resistance, colonisation, and eventual political negotiation with Britain. Ireland’s own history of occupation eventually led to an independent Irish state and the island’s partition. Indeed, the 1998 Good Friday Agreement ended decades of armed conflict by bringing together former enemies. This included armed groups once deemed terrorist organisations.
Read more: Why Kneecap have become poster boys for Irish anti-colonialism
Durable peace relies on open dialogue rather than criminalising political opposition. Across Europe, the space for such discussion is narrowing. After the October 7 attack, some governments have responded with bans on Palestinian flags, arrests at protests, and censorship of activists and artists. What’s being tested isn’t just the legal definition of terrorism but whether cultural and political dissent can still be tolerated in liberal democracies.
Ireland’s history offers a different lens where speech, even if uncomfortable or radical, is part of the path to peace. As European governments expand the scope of what counts as "support for terror", the question remains: are we criminalising the very kinds of political expression that lead to understanding – and eventually, resolution?
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Dr Kerstin Bree Carlson is Associate Professor of international law in the Department of Social Sciences and Business at Roskilde University in Denmark. She teaches topics in law and society, global studies, international politics, and Nordic migration.
This article was commissioned by Videnskab.dk, a Danish science news site. Read the Danish version here.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
